Enterprise IT teams are under increasing pressure to manage complex, distributed infrastructure environments, yet many still lack the operational visibility and automation required to do so effectively, according to new research from EZO.
The company’s 2026 State of IT Maturity Report points to a widening gap between the expectations placed on IT organizations and the tools and processes available to support them, as businesses scale their digital operations and face growing security and compliance demands.
While modernization efforts are underway across many organizations, the findings suggest that underlying operational challenges—particularly around fragmented systems and manual workflows—continue to limit progress.
Fragmented Systems Continue to Undermine IT Operations
One of the report’s central findings is the persistence of disconnected IT environments.
More than half of surveyed organizations rely on IT service management or CMDB platforms as their primary system of record, yet a notable portion still depend on spreadsheets to track assets and configurations. This fragmentation introduces operational risk and limits the ability of teams to maintain accurate, real-time oversight of their environments.
Only 21% of organizations report having real-time visibility supported by automated alerts, highlighting a significant gap in monitoring and responsiveness across enterprise infrastructure.
Automation and Integration Remain Key Bottlenecks
Despite widespread recognition of automation as a strategic priority, adoption remains uneven.
Nearly half of respondents report limited integration between tools, requiring manual updates and reconciliation across systems. As a result, routine processes—such as audit preparation—can take weeks to complete, reflecting inefficiencies in data access and system coordination.
These challenges underscore a broader issue: while enterprises continue to invest in digital transformation, the operational foundations required to support automation at scale are not yet fully in place.
IT Asset Management Gains Strategic Importance
The report also points to the growing role of IT asset management (ITAM) as a critical control layer within enterprise operations.
Organizations with more mature ITAM practices report stronger outcomes in areas such as security posture, audit readiness, and cost management. Integrated platforms that unify asset data are increasingly seen as essential for enabling automation across processes such as patching, onboarding, and license optimization.
This shift reflects a broader trend in enterprise IT, where asset intelligence is becoming central to both operational efficiency and risk management.
Maturity Progress Remains Uneven
Although many organizations report that their IT systems support business goals, overall confidence in IT maturity remains mixed.
A majority of respondents indicate only moderate satisfaction with their current level of maturity, suggesting that while progress has been made, significant gaps remain in execution and operational consistency.
“Operational visibility becomes critical not only for IT teams but for the business as a whole,” said Syed Ali, emphasizing the growing reliance on accurate, real-time insight to support decision-making and performance.
Why This Matters
The findings highlight a critical inflection point for enterprise IT.
As organizations continue to scale and adopt more advanced technologies—including AI and automation—the ability to manage complexity, maintain visibility, and ensure data consistency is becoming a defining factor in operational resilience.
Without stronger integration and real-time insight, IT teams risk remaining reactive, spending time reconciling fragmented data rather than driving strategic outcomes.
In this context, IT maturity is no longer a back-office concern. It is increasingly central to how organizations manage risk, control costs, and enable continuous innovation.
ERP News Editorial Team
The ERPNews Editorial Team covers global developments in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), enterprise software, cloud platforms, AI, automation, and digital transformation, providing independent news and editorial analysis for senior business and technology leaders. Our reporting focuses on market signals, strategic shifts, and enterprise impact across the ERP and enterprise technology ecosystem.
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